Scandal over Obama's coffee-cup salute 'contrived'

Opinion: Uproar regarding President Obama's coffee-cup salute is just another contrived scandal by conservativ

The recent uproar by conservatives regarding President Obama's coffee-cup salute is just another of their contrived scandals.

In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers, when drafting the Constitution, bestowed civilian control of the armed forces to our highest elected official, to prevent a military dictatorship, while also bestowing on Congress the authority to declare war.

The act of returning a salute as commander-in-chief was started occasionally by President Eisenhower (a former five-star general) but not by any of the 33 presidents preceding him, nor by successors Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford or Carter. The practice was restarted by President Reagan, which was met with considerable criticism at that time by constitutionalists and others. Since Reagan, presidents usually returned salutes, but there never was, or is, any requirement or reason to do so.

The charge of being disrespectful to the troops if a president doesn't return a salute or salutes with a coffee cup in his hand is pure political hyperbole by Republicans and just another disgusting attempt to smear a president whom they hate. Saluting a commander in chief is, however, a required protocol for military subordinates, but expecting a return salute, or being offended if one is not forthcoming, is absolutely ludicrous.